St. Joseph Valley Camerata began in 1975 as Camerata Singers of Elkhart (Indiana). Music director David Seitz and singing friends, sensing opportunity for a new community chamber choir, formed the thirty-voice ensemble that gave its first performance at Elkhart Memorial High School in December of that year. The group obtained corporate not-for-profit status in 1977. Christine Larson Seitz became Camerata's accompanist in 1978, and since then no one else has ever accompanied one of the group's concerts.

Highlights of Camerata's performances over the years include Yulefest dinner concerts, Springfest dinner concerts, Valentine cabaret performances, sacred programs in churches, pops concerts in Elkhart's historic Elco Theatre, interactive events with high schools, and performances with the South Bend and Elkhart Symphonies.

In 2003 Camerata Singers reorganized as St. Joseph Valley Camerata. For three seasons the group functioned as a paid professional choir. The new group was smaller, more select, and concentrated on main-line classics from the Renaissance through Romantic periods. In the 2006-07 season, the pressures of fundraising led the choir away from paid singer and director status. However, the love of those singers and directors for this group and its repertoire resulted in the current St. Joseph Valley Camerata, an effort whose only goal is offering the best it can in chamber choir literature and sound.

St. Joseph Valley Camerata seeks to make participation by busy qualified singers manageable. There is neither a Christmas concert nor one in the later spring when school and other choir programs are so demanding. Approximately eight rehearsals are scheduled before a November concert and the same leading to a March performance.

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